Dust-guard for valve-stems.



C. T SHAFFER DUSF GUARD FOR VALVE STEMS. APPLICATION FILED APR, 15, :9l3. RENEWED ms. 15.12am.

1 ,1 9 l ,840. lzm-ntvd J uly 18, 1916.

"* ATTORNEY 7 ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLEVE T. SHAFFER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DUST-GUARD FOR VALVE-STEMS.

Application filed April 15; 1913, Serial No. 761,295.

T 0 all whom it m (21 concern:

Be it known that I, Cnnvn T. SIurri-m, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dust-Guards for Valve-Stems, of which the following is a. specification. I

The hereinafter described invention relates to improvements in dust caps as used in connection with the valve stems of pneumatic tires, and the invention has for its principal objects to provide an improved dust cap the employment of which will obviate the necessity of screwing the cap on and off of the valve stem as is now the custom; to provide a dust cap having yieldable means which is so arranged that when the cap is in position on the valve stem that the same will frictionally engage the stem and retain the protector thereon, and provide a hermetic seal around the valve stem; and to provide a dust cap which is simple in construction, consists of but few parts, and one which is thoroughly efficient for the purposes designed.

In vehicles where pneumatic tires are used the valve stem which is threaded for its full length extends through an opening in the folly and is retained in position therethrough by a threaded washer and is protected from the weather and injury by a threaded dust cap engaging the valve stem threads and screwed down on the stem for its entire distance and the. operation of attaching and removing the cap and washer is tedious and slow owing to the necessity of threading the. parts for the full length of the valve stem.

The present invention relates to improvements in devices for positioning over the valve stem to protect the same from injury and to retain the same in position, and one whi h may be quickly removed from or applied to the valve stem and without screwint, the same for the full length thereof and when on e in positi n on the valve stem will not shake loose.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accomfmnying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, pro portion, size and minor details of construe Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1916.

Renewed February 15, 1916. Serial No. 78,550.

tion, within the scope of the appended claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any advantages of the invention.

To more fully comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompany ing sheet of drawings, wherein is disclosed one form of my invention, and in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a section of a pneumatic tire with my improved dust cap positioned over the valve stem thereof. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View disclosing the two members forming the dust cap and the portion of flexible material interposed between and acted on by the members.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view disclosing the manner of mounting and retaining the dust cap on the valve stem.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates the externally threaded valve stem of a pneumatic tire which is preferably retained in position through the telly by the nut 2 and is normally closed at its open end' by the valve cap 3, of any well known type.

My improved dust guard comprises the elongated tubular receiving member or cap t closed at its upper end. as at 5, and formed at its opposite end with an outwardly tla'ring, inclined. annular flange wall 6, which terminates in an annular collar or sleeve 7 threaded on its lo er inner surface and knurled on its outer surface. asat 8,the walls of the annula r collar or sleeve being snbstantially parallel to the walls of the tubular member 4, and said ca p is adapted for positioning over the upper portion of the valve stem 1. The threaded collar or sleeve 7 is adapted for receiving the upper exteriorly threaded portion 9 of an open ended tubular member or Washer 10 formed with a knurled annular flange. 11, and provided on its in terior surface with an annular cut away por tion or seat 12 opening at the top of the member or washer 10.

A suitable flexible, tubular packing or gripping member 13, preferably formed of rubber, is seated in the cut away portion or seat 12, and the upper end 14 of said paelo ing extends above the upper end of the men: ber or washer 10, and is adaptcd when the members 4 and are positioned over the valve stem and drawn together, to contact with the inner surface of the outw div fla ing flange wall 6 and be forced inn;

frictionally engaging the surtece thereby,

of the valve 1 retainingthe members fliers-on and forming a h'crjinetical seal around the valve Sig-33 M," prevent the escape of any air fromthe valve. sbemfshould the valve cap 3 become dislodge D From the above description, it'will be apparent that the members 4 and 10 when in slight threaded engagement do not force the packing 13 inwardly, as is shown in Fig. 2, and that the structure is capable (if being readily positioned. over and removed from the valvestem, but that when it is-desired to prevent displacement of thestructure from the valve stem: it isonly necessary to ad vanco'the members toward each other until such time the uppereud lof the packing contac s with the annular incline 6 which will f( e the packing inwardly against the valve site: i i, as in Fig", 3, and retain the dust guard in position. To remove the dust guard it is only necessary to give the'members a slight twist which, through the threaded portions thereof, will. cause the same to sep arate and the inclined flange wall 6 to disengage from the upper edge of the packing, which will permit the packing to assume the. position in Fig. l, and admit of the dust guard being readily removed therefrom without the necessity of rotating the same for the full length of the valve stem as is the case with the structures now employed.

While the nut 2 is disclosed as having been positioned to secure the valve stem in place, it is to be understood that this nut may be dispensed with and the tubular member or washer rest on the folly and in this way supplant the nut.

Having thus described my invention what I claim desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A quickly detachable dust guard for threaded valve stems, comprising a tubular member for loosely positioning over the val e stem, a dust cap associated with said tubular or and adapted for loosely posit and i closing said stem, an {5 member interand dust cap rough which said stem extends, and means carried by said cap and tubul. members whereby the $11118 may by a relative rotary movement be drawn together for forcing said gripping member into engagcn'iont with the valve stem to detachably secure the tubular member and dust cap.

2. A quickly detachable dust guard for threaded valve stems, comprising a tubular member for loosely positioning over the valve stem and thro gh which the stem cxtendil '1 i with said tubular 1r loosely positioning id stem, an anni'slar r carried one of 1 member, :n u adapted to he engaged providea seal surrounding said stem below the open end thereof.

3. A quickly detachable dust guard for threaded valve stems, comprising a tubular member .for loosely; positioning over the valve stem and through which the stem extends, a dust cap associated with said tubu lar member and adapted for loosely positioning over said stem, an annular flexible gripping member carried by said tubular member and. through which the valve stem extends, one end of said gripping member projecting beyond said tubular member, a threaded connection between said cap and tubular member for adjusting the same by a. rotary movement. relative to each other, and means carried by said cap for contacting with the projecting end of the said gripping member to force the same into engagement with the valve stem when the tubular memher and cap are drawn together to detachably secure said tubular valve and dust cap to said stem.

4. A quickly detachable dust guard for threaded valve stems, comprising a tubular member or washer for loosely positioning over the valve stem, a dust cap for loosely positioning over the valve stem and cooperating with the tubular member, and a flexitioning over the valve stem, and a yieldahlc' member adapted on the drawing together of said tubular dust cap and washer members upon a relative rotary movement thereof for engaging the valve stem to detachably secure said dust cap and Washer members thereto.

A quickly detachable dust guard for threaded valve stems, comprising a yieldable member for loosely positioning over the valve stem, a tubular member or washer for loosely positioning over thevalvc stem and having an interior tapered surface for re ooiving said yieldable member, and a dust cap for loosely positioning over the valve stem in cooperative relation with the tubui member or washer and adapted by a relative rotary movement there-0.1 on the drz-iwingl to gether of said tubular member was into engagement with the valve 139 cap and cap iawn ie; infill adaptmi m i. w position valve stem, :1 yiiclilnhlv gripping wyvseil holawen fill: ineimoned ntwml 1 lm-cml mm fi'ngm vmi'enl' with in: T3! :l. M m'lY men]. ilW-i otlwr of ll 5 and :ivst mg: m (letzwluxbly i A my and lnlmimmeli'iber or Washvr ll zvnn 2i A quickly clmnclmhlv iillcl" Juan! for tin-mailed valve st z: tubular mr-mlm' or Waslim' ml 1 AM-min (hm mg) mlaptml for luv 5' n).- Hall}? twaitl min stem, one if said mem ers pmvidm with an interimtapei'e'l portion, and a yield- :able gripping member carried by 'l'he: olliu' member and lulzmtell mengaging the val. 0

stem to :lniw'hnbl} secure the (lust cap and tubular member or washer thereto on the rvlaiivc rotary movement of said tubular member '1' i101 and (lust cap toward each other.

3). A quick detachable dust guard for threaded, valve stems comprising a stem inflOSillQ' and mm excluding member into Whivh the valve stem freely passes, an assov'mLL-(l nwmlie! through which the valve slum lively passes. and means operated by a n-luti'velv rotary movement of the said two lm'lli'lwl'fi for securing the guard on the valve Jpn In iestinmny \vlwi'uol' l have signed my 12:11:10 to this specificatimi in. the presence of tam EsilbSefili /ing witnesses.

(L-EVE T. SHAFFIQR.

ii \mr H. 'lo'rrim, l). B. Hummus. 

